Lost Moment
by CarrieReeRay
Summary: Just how significant can a moment truly be? Hunger Games minus one moment that changed everything. Katniss didn't see Peeta before the gong rang out.
1. Let The Games Begin

**A/N: Hi! This is my first attempt at a story on this site! Thanks for giving it a shot, and let me know what you thought in the reviews. Thanks for reading and reviewing in advance!**

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**_The Hunger Games_ belongs to Suzanne Collins.**

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"So sick of this lonely air  
It seems such a waste of breath  
So much that I need to say  
So much to get off my chest"

\- Make It To Me, Sam Smith

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Haymitch has never seen me run, maybe he would be shocked. If he had, he might would tell me go for it. Get the weapon, the weapon that could be the equivalent of my salvation. Out of the entirety of the pile, one bow is among my view. The 60 seconds ticking away on the clock surely is nearly up by now. My strategy, well, I figured I was undecided. But as I position myself to run towards the weapon, I suddenly know my plan. I don't see Peeta anywhere, he must be far distanced from me. Still, I feel like I need to find him, something in me needs to find him.

As the gong rings out, I take off. I'm well prepared for the battle in front of me. I am the first to reach the cornucopia and I grab the bow and arrows quickly. The District 2 male, I believe I recall the name Cato, rounds the corner, and I shoot him in the heart. He falls and I know he will be dead soon. I know I do not have time to remorse in my first human kill.

Aware of the battles around me, and the target I will become now, I round to the portion of the clearing that doesn't look quite so deadly, and I take off in a blind sprint. I'm so desperate to get out of the open, so desperate to find Peeta and be halfway safe. So desperate am I, that I don't notice the District 1 girl. As she hurls a throwing knife my way I spot its glint, but her aim is off. I run faster. And instead of its desired target, which looked to be my stomach, it finds my thigh.

I slow only a little. Over my shoulder I grab an arrow, and turn to fight. The District 1 girl is standing directly behind me, shocked and weaponless now. I grit my teeth and shoot her in the eye, just like my prey at home. I watch her fall regretfully. I back into the edge of the woods this time, safe.

Finally, I glance down to see the knife lodged in my thigh. With the adrenaline no longer pumping through me, I finally access the pain of the sharp point that found its way to my leg. I grab the handle shakily, and pull it out. With bloody knife in hand, I run deeper into the forest. I need a safer place to clean the wound.

I sit on the leafy ground and rip away a small portion of my pants for a clearer view. The cut is deep and has a steady flow of blood pouring from it. I bite my tongue, and place my hand over the gash. It's throbbing, and hurts intensely. My hands shoot back from my thigh, and grab the ground in attempt to distract my trembling hands. From the dampness of the ground, I can tell there is a stream close by.

I wipe the knife on a nearby leaf to clear my blood from its shiny surface. Then, unsteadily I get to my feet. I walk to a tree near me and begin to climb using mainly my unwounded leg. I have scrambled half up and before I start to look. There is a tiny pond to my right, and I make my way down the tree slowly.

I stroll over to the pond easily. I crouch on one knee, and extend my wounded leg into the water. I have neither the skill or courage to deal with these types of things, as I'm not my mother nor Prim. Still, compared to the wound I could be facing if the knife had pierced my stomach like intended, I could be much worse off.

I sit for a long while, just thinking about how I could wrap my leg somehow. I end up cutting a piece of my jacket off and wrapping it around the gash tightly. It will have to do for now.

Then, the cannons start. Each shot represents a dead tribute. The fighting must have stopped in the cornucopia. I count the fallen on my fingers. One... Two... Three... Until they reach 12. Twelve dead, half of us exactly. A large amount for a first day, but it still leaves half of us for the remainder of the games.

I begin to imagine who all could be gone now. I begin to wonder about Peeta. Has he lasted through the day? I'm suddenly overwhelmed by the thought that he could already be lost, collected by the Capitol, and in the process of being transported to the Capitol to be cleaned up, redressed, and shipped in a simple wooden box back to District 12. No longer here. Heading home.

I think back to the night before, his declaration of love to me. I realize that when I shoved him, it was the first time I'd seen the boy with the bread shed blood. I couldn't imagine innocent Peeta with no more than those simple cuts. Him dead simply couldn't register with me. But still, I will find out soon enough if his picture found its way into the sky this evening.

Still, it may be better for me if he is gone. I wouldn't have to bear the guilt of killing him myself. Also, he had no confidence he could win. He could not see the advantages he held over other tributes. Maybe it's better if he's out of this for good.

I realize that I'm hungry. I remove my knife from the waist band of my pants and wash it once in the pond for good hygiene measures. But really, how clean can you be in the hunger games after all? I go to work on a pine tree, cutting away the outer bark. I scrape a large handful of the softer inner bark. I chew as I walk away from the lake and back to the tree I climbed earlier. After a week of the finest food in the world, it's a little hard to scoff down. But I've eaten plenty of of pine in my life. I'll adjust quickly.

I trace out the surroundings of the pond. So far it's a place that I can claim my own, as there are no signs of other tributes around. In another hour, I know I need to pick a tree to camp out in. My fellow tributes are my biggest concern, and so I put aside any thoughts of the nature surrounding me. Many will continue hunting into the night I'm sure. Those who scrambled up more from the cornucopia will surely be itching to use their new treasures. I know I haven't traveled far, and it's concerning that I may not be out of their range.

I pick my tree carefully. A willow, the tallest in a clump of willows together. It will offer me concealment in those long, flowering tresses along with the benefit of height. Again, I climb slowly. I find the sturdiest branch that I can in the height of the tree. I find a satisfying fork, and set up my bed quietly. It's not much at all, I removed my under shirt for a pillow, zipped my jacket up fully, and slipped it's hood over my head. To keep myself up, I remove my belt and loop it all the way around the branch and my waist tightly.

The night cools quickly. I wish I had been more sensible and grabbed a sleeping bag in the cornucopia before taking off. The jacket is thin and I choose warmth over comfort, placing my undershirt back on underneath the jacket. I'm shivering by the time night brings the anthem that proceeds the death recap. Through the branches I can see the seal of the Capitol, which appears to be floating in the sky. I take a deep breath as the faces of twelve dead tributes begin.

The first to appear is the District 1 girl. Following her is the District 2 boy. I smile smugly. It's a huge accomplishment on my part for killing two Career tributes already, when most Careers always survive the first day. Following those two, the girl from District 3. The boy from District 5... I guess the fox-faced girl made it. The male tribute from 6 and both from 7. Both tributes from 8 and 9. I've counted eleven so far, only one more dead tribute to go. Is it Peeta? No, there's the girl from District 10. That's it.

Twelve dead, but none from District 12. I try to work out who is left. It brings instant relief that Peeta is alive, but I push that aside. Four Career tributes, Foxface, Thresh, and Rue... So she made it through the first day after all. I can't help feeling glad. That makes nine of us. The other three I'll figure out tomorrow. Now when it's dark, and I have cared for my wound, and I am high up in this tree, now I must try and rest.

I haven't really slept in two days, and I slowly allow my muscles to relax. I push past the thoughts of the cold. Sure it's cold, but it's not freezing. I can handle it. My eyes close. The last thing I think is its lucky I don't snore...


	2. Foxlike Union

**A/N: So I know in this chapter is pretty far from what happened in the book, but I'm trying to stray away from Suzanne's Collins basis as the last chapter was pretty close to the events that actually happened in the book. Please review and let me know what you think about the events of this chapter. Thanks to everyone for the support so far!**

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**_The Hunger Games_ belongs to Suzanne Collins.**

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"When I found you  
You could run so fast  
You never really wanted love  
And it couldn't really hold you back."

\- Meant To Be, Parachute

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I twist and turn through the night, hardly really sleeping. Finally, when I wake up shivering for the third time, I decide it's useless to try and sleep anymore. Besides, it'll be warmer when I'm up and moving around. The sky is still dark, but I can feel the first signs of dawn approaching. I haven't even unstrapped myself from my tree when I hear a barely audible crack beneath me.

My heart races in my chest and I reach over my shoulder and find an arrow. I'm well concealed in a clump of trees. At least while the sun stays down. Through the leaves, I spot a color of fiery red. Foxface, she's hopping through the leaves as silently as possible, looking for my pond probably.

As quietly as possible, I undo the belt holding me in. Careful of my thigh, I climb down the tree. My hunting skills come in good here, and I use the same tread as I would when stalking my prey. I stand behind a tree right near the small clearing and watch her as she collapses in the water gratefully. She cups her hands and smells the water suspiciously before lapping it down. She must have been dehydrated from the looks of it.

I notice her backpack, a tiny black bag with one strap. It doesn't look like it could hold much, she probably grabbed it from the stuff strewn in the clearing before getting to the woods. Suddenly, she stands up straighter, alarmed. Then, her face snaps in my direction. She steps back once, as if to run, but I stick my palm out to stop her.

"I won't hurt you!" I whisper frantically.

I can see her breathing heavy, and I decide that to calm her I need to get her talking. I don't dare touch my arrows over my shoulder now. "What's your name?" I ask lamely.

She seems shocked by the question, but gulps and answers with more boldness than I expected, "Tacita, at least that's what you'd think if you heard the people in the Capitol rattling on. I like Tacey though, more simple. And you're Katniss, the famous girl on fire."

I chuckle slowly and nod at her, "Ironic, considering it's much more applying to you with your red hair."

Now it's her chance to chuckle. She covers her mouth to remain silent, and I watch her face turn read, which makes her appear even more fox like. Suddenly, Tacey catches sight of something close to me and her eyes widen. I don't even have time to turn around before she is directly in front of me, touching the sash containing my arrows.

"You got a weapon?" She asks admiringly. "No one can usually get close enough to get their hands on something this great. How'd you do it?"

"It wasn't easy, I got to the opening in the cornucopia before the Careers. I had to shoot the boy from two, I'm not sure I completely killed him now that I think of it. I mean I shot his chest, right over the heart, but it didn't lodge deep. Probably someone else finished him off for me. Oh, and I got this from the District 1 girl, she got an arrow in the eye as a result." I say in reply, showing her the wrapped area on my leg.

Her eyes drift over my makeshift wrap, and then her fingers glide over the ripped area of my pants. "Sit down, let me see this." She simply states demandingly.

I refuse for a moment, I don't want to be in the open. It feels like we are too vulnerable. So, I lead her back to my tree. I sit with my back to the trunk, hands on my bow in case of a surprise attack, while she unwraps my thigh. She doesn't seem fazed by the sight of the cut. She simply traces her finger around the exposed area, careful not to touch the area.

"You washed it off?" She asks finally.

I nod weakly. "Not very good, my mother or my sister would be ashamed of the lousy care I've given it." I state regretfully.

She simply nods. Her amber eyes meet my own, a thoughtful expression covering her facial features.

Finally, speaks. "In five, there's a lot of electrical burns. You know, it's like a burn that comes from electricity passing through the body. Most of them are bad, killing people and the extremes. Some are decent. We can usually stall the stinging feeling with Aloe Vera. I mean, it might sound dumb, but I know the wonder it does for my friends and family. It's worth a shot, just to have something other than water over it. I have some with me, a habit from working in the plants. I feel better carrying it, so I found some." And with that she produces a few leaves from her waistband.

I'd heard of Aloe before, but I didn't think about it for a cut. Still, as she busted one open and squeezed the gel-substance around the cut, it was almost relieving. She didn't touch it to smooth it out, but instead just grabbed the piece of jacket I had used to wrap it.

"Stay here, I'll clean this off. I've got a simple first aid pack in my bag. There is probably some gauze in their so we can properly wrap it." She says lightly, motioning to the bag over her shoulder.

I sit in my shaded area beneath the tree, the sun is rising now. The careers will be retreating back to the opening to get some rest after their night of hunting. They must have not been too successful, no cannons fired last night. My mind drifts to Tacey. We are not exactly allies yet, but she seemed comfortable enough around me since I promised I wouldn't hurt her. My thoughts are suddenly interrupted by a the ringing of a cannon. Automatically, my bow is brought into shooting position and I'm on my feet, back still pressed against my trunk. I almost call out to Tacey. I need to make sure she's okay, but I can't bring myself to call out. I hear footsteps and I stand armed and prepared. Tacey rounds the corner and looks at me with eyes as wide as the doe's I hunt back home.

She sighs in relief and I lower my bow slowly. We stare at each other for a while, neither of us able to speak yet. Finally, she breaks the silence.

"The Careers have been hunting all night. I followed them for a little while. There's only five of them this year."

"Five?" I question her.

"Yeah, the girl from two, the boy from one, both from four, and your lover boy." She states smirking.

I blush at the last one. "What is he doing with them? A noncareer teaming up with the career pack is dangerous." I say curiously.

She shrugs. "I'm more concerned about who is dead, I wouldn't be surprised if lover boy is gone. They probably used him to find you, but as soon as they realize he's clueless on your location, well, lover boy will be headed back to District 12 pretty soon and not alive for that matter."

"Well if you look at it like that, everyone but one of us here will be too pretty soon," I point out to her.

She nods uncomfortably and drops her back pack, taking a seat on the ground with her back facing away from my tree. She pats the ground in front of her to indicate that I should sit also. I sit cautiously, still holding my bow. She reaches in the tiny bag, and produces a white, square box. She rummages through, looking for some gauze I assume.

"I don't have gauze, but I do have some of these," she finally says, pulling out a few large band aids.

She puts some more aloe around the cut carefully before using three band aids to cover it tightly. I watch her work, and I see her small features. She's younger than me, but I can't tell by how much. She looks up and catches me staring at her eventually.

"How old are you?" I ask finally.

She smiles. "Fifteen, but you'd think younger wouldn't you?"

I nod at her slowly. "Tacey, you know the Careers aren't the only ones who can make alliances right?" I pause, then start back before she can answer the question. "I think we'd make a fine pair for a little while. I mean I can hunt and your good at sneaking around. I'm pretty silent myself too. So what do you say Tacey, allies?"

She smiles at me and again I notice the fox-like resemblance in her features. "Oh, how I'd be honored to align with the Girl on Fire." She says in a Capitol accent. She sticks her hand out, and I take it as I chuckle, thinking about mine and Gale's imitations of the Capitol's people ridiculous way of talking. Tacey and I aren't all that different after all, maybe this alliance would work.


	3. Cut It Off

**A/N: Okay, I know, so this chapter is short. I don't really have an excuse for that. It's a filler chapter I guess. So anyways, review and tell me what you think please!**

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**_The Hunger Games_ belongs to Suzanne Collins.**

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"You were searching for one grain of sand along an endless beach  
As I was building you a castle that you just refused to see"

\- One Grain Of Sand, Ron Pope.

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Since it's daylight, Tacey and I decide to set out to the edge of the clearing that contains the cornucopia to spy on the Careers. She thought it was just for the adventure of it, but I secretly was checking to see if Peeta was with the pack. I wasn't sure I quite believed that one. She knew her way around the arena already, and that was the first sign that I had made the right decision in aligning with her as I was clueless on the layout of the arena.

We skirt along until we find a mostly concealing bush. The two of us squat into the bush and watch the Career pack. Sure enough, there's my Lover Boy among them. I watch mainly him and take in his injuries. His face is badly bruised, his left arm has a bloody bandage on it, and there's a nasty uncovered cut underneath his right eyebrow.

I can't help but think of his stupidity. The career tributes are overly vicious, arrogant, over fed, but only because they're the Capitol's lapdogs. Obviously, that innocent and noble boy on the rooftop just nights ago was playing another game with me. I decide it will be his last time to attempt and toy with me. I will eagerly watch the night skies for his death, provided I don't kill him first. Tacey taps me, her eyes wide.

"What's Marvel doing?" she whispers cautiously.

I glance around the camp. Marvel must be the District 1 male, the one who was risen up next to me on the pedestals. He's not in my view, and I look to Tacey confused.

"He just got up and walked away," she explains to me.

I peek back through the bush and notice Clove is standing now, and is moving around the cornucopia. Headed to a direction we can't view. Before she turns the corner, she grabs a sword from a nearby stack. Eyes wide, I turn to Tacey again.

She leans over to whisper to me. "I'm going to get a better view. Stay here and watch these guys."

She crawls past the bush and sneaks along the edge quickly before I have the chance to reply. I turn back to the remains Careers and silently sigh, hoping she'd stay hidden, but knowing she easily would. Then, Peeta suddenly turns around and glances at the edge of the woods left of me. He looks over his shoulder once to see if his allies are distracted, and then squints back in the direction again. His eyes aren't set at my direction, and realization sets in as I figure out exactly what he's looking at. I lean back as much as I dare and look to the left. Sure enough, Tacey has rammed herself behind a tree. One problem though, half of her bun on one side is clearly visible to Peeta, and completely unnatural looking.

I inch myself backwards. I definitely don't want to leave Tacey, but Peeta will gather the pack and target her. I can't risk that, not if I want to even consider getting home. I glance back towards Peeta once more, prepared to see him pointing out the bun to one of his friends from District 4. Instead, I see him settling down on the ground, looking in the opposite direction. He's ignored us. Amazing.

I look back at Tacey now. I need to get away from here. Peeta could easily change his mind, as he doesn't know this girl. Why would he protect her after all? As loudly as I dare, I whisper out her name. She slowly turns her head towards me, fear in her eyes. I motion for her join me, and then crawl away from the edge of the woods. I make my way in deep enough to be out of sight, then stand and wait for her. She sneaks around a tree a moment later, a tear rolling down her cheek.

She surprises me, and locks me in a tight hug. She quickly releases and refuses to meet my gaze. Her eyes downcast, she suggests something I would've never thought of.

"Katniss, cut my hair."

Before I can help myself, a ridiculous sounding "Huh?" exits my mouth.

She replies quickly. "It's too revealing. It will give me away plenty more times. I need to get rid of it. Katniss, just chop it off. All of it, with your knife. I don't need it."

So she sits cross legged below me. I stand above her, holding up a piece of that fiery red hair nervously. I realize now the trust this girl has in me, as I'm standing directly over her head with a knife. If I was ruthless like the Careers, she would be gone. Instead, I chop off the first long strand. I continue along, cutting each piece. Finally, I have all but one strand chopped off. As I cut the final piece, I watch the clump fall apart before it reaches the ground. The tiny sprigs remaining on her head stick up every which way. Around her, hair is messily scattered. I'm studying the last piece of hair that was chopped off, when the cannon fires.

Tacey hops up automatically and clutches my arm fearfully. We're too close to the edge of the woods. We need to be hidden, and fast. I point up to the tree right beside us. She nods shakily. I take the lead, I climb each branch swiftly. She's not as skilled in this area as I am, and several times I have to carefully pull her up beside me. We make it about midway up when we hear a twig break nearby. We both freeze, and stare in the direction of the noise.

Below us, a blonde head appears. The hair is tousled around as the boy lazily checks his surroundings. I almost release my breath in relief. It's Peeta, and he's alone.


	4. You Don't Need Me

**A/N: Okay, so I know I said I'd only update a couple of times a week, but I love this chapter. So yeah, basically just read. The end is my favorite part. Let me know what you guys think!**

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**_The Hunger Games_ belongs to Suzanne Collins.**

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"Someday we're gonna see that everybody wants the same thing  
Well, I just thought you should know that only you amaze me"

\- Running Wild, Jules Larson

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The blonde head continues to swivel every which way until it stops and stares directly at the area where we had just been sitting. He crouches, and I am cursing my own stupidity. The ring of fiery red hair still lays in the spot it fell to. He dares to a few pieces, and then looks around carefully.

"I don't know who you are, but maybe I could help you..." He speaks softly.

I turn to Tacey with pleading eyes, I want to call out to him. But her gaze doesn't meet my own, and she simply continues to stare down at Peeta with an amused expression. He looks around a couple of more times before exhaling an exhausted sigh. He grabs more hair, and piles it together. Then, he picks up a large wad of leaves and dirt. Carefully, he covers the red pile to where it's no longer visible.

"For someone so sneaky, next time you should cover up something so obvious," Peeta calls softly while getting to his feet.

Then, he begins to walk off. I watch him, and then turn to Tacey. Her eyes are wide and alert.

"Let's follow him," she finally says.

I don't disagree, and hop down out of the tree silently. Tacey walks in front of me, heading in his direction. We don't talk for a while, but we also don't find her savior, as that's basically what he is considering he's spared her twice now. He seems to have disappeared. Soon, Tacey lets out a yawn. It takes one glance at her face, and I can tell she needs to sleep as soon as possible.

I speak up for the first time in a couple of hours, "Tacey, when's the last time you slept?" I ask her.

She continues walking, and I'm about to ask again when she finally answers. "I haven't. I've not fully slept since the reaping."

I grab her arm to stop her from moving anymore. She tries to turn around and face me, but her feet get tangled up some how. I catch her by the shoulders before she completely falls. I lead her to a tree nearby, and then hoist myself up to the bottom branch. I help her climb like I did earlier that day, but much more slowly now. We reach a sturdy top branch, and I strap her in by her belt. It's still afternoon, so it's not quite chilly yet. Still, I take off my own jacket and give it to her as a blanket. I need her to be well rested. She's my guide around the arena, as I still don't know my way around quite yet.

Once she's asleep, which didn't take long, I climb over to another branch beside her. I decide to strap myself in also, and sit watching the unmoving ground below us. Night falls quickly, even though it feels like it should only be midday still. Soon, the Capitol seal appears above us to recap the deaths of day two. I tap Tacey beside me and she groggily watches the sky. The first to appear is the District 3 male. It's not very significant I suppose. Then, the District 4 Male appears. That's it. Beside me Tacey sighs slowly.

"I wonder who killed the career?" she asks, seeming to be awake now.

I shrug, and then think of Peeta. He was alone with the District 4 tributes, then appeared below us in the tree. He very well could've killed the Career boy.

"Katniss," Tacey interrupts my thoughts. "Tell me about District 12."

I'm caught off guard for a moment. It's such a random but simple question. I can't quite think of what to tell her, so I start with the basics.

"Well, it's pretty simple. The children are in school, once your old enough, you work in the mines. The only way to avoid the mines is to be a townsfolk, that or to of course win these games. But a victor is pretty uncommon in our District, we've only had two." I stop to catch her eyes, she's staring in space, but looks at me to let me know she's listening.

"You probably know about Prim, she's my sister. She and my mother look alike, with their light colored hair. It stands out in the Seam, that's where the poorest of the district live, like us. My mother isn't from the Seam. My father gave me my Seam coloring. He died in a mining accident when I was younger. My friend Gale's dad died in the same accident. Gale and I look alike because all of us look alike in the Seam. We all have the brown hair and grey eyes, it's common for people to think we're all related. But we're not, I'm not related to Gale or any of the others as far as I know. That's basically it though, we do what we can to get by. Just like everyone else." I say concluding, I don't want to talk about the woods or get anyone in trouble.

She nods slowly, and I decide to continue on the same topic. "What about you Tacita?" I say her name jokingly.

She scowls slowly, but then starts to talk. "District 5 is simple too I guess. My parents are better off than some, maybe what you'd call in the middle. My dad is an equipment manager, my mom works for the butcher in town as his assistant. I have two brothers, Archard and Ryce. Archard, he's 17, graduated early. He's really smart, works in the offices at the local solar plant and develops all kinds of methods or something. Ryce is 11, not old enough for the reapings. He's so smart too. Me, well I'm the different one. Both of my brothers have black hair and green eyes. I look like my aunt on my dads side. I'm an average smart, but not like them. They were the one that got the notice taken to them, until I was reaped of course. Now I've got all the spotlight I never wanted. Maybe I liked being in the spotlight of my brothers." She comments the last part bitterly.

"But yeah, District 5, you don't think about it much, it's just home. I couldn't imagine any different before I came to the Capitol. It just was the normal. Now I'm basking in the possibility of never having another normal because of the fact of death or life. Sure, if I come home I'll be home and alive. But it'll never be the same you know? I'll be paraded around as a victor until I die. If I die in here, I never have that fame. I mean I wanted the average life, and I thought I was going to have it. I never thought I'd be here. I didn't want the attention."

She leans back and closes her eyes, lost in thought. I'd never thought of it like that, I mean but she doesn't have the benefits of being a victor. Her life was something I'd never had, an average, easy life. We'd struggled and worried, while her family had no need. They didn't need her riches if she won, they probably could function without her from what it sounded like. Prim and my mom, they wouldn't have much if I didn't come back.

"I don't want to get out of here Katniss," she says finally.

I stare at her face with a foreign expression. She sleepily opens her eyes and squints at me. I'm about to tell her that was something crazy, she loved her family. She'd want to get back to them. But instead, I close my mouth and sit back staring into the night sky. Tacey unclips her belt and I glance over at her. She hands me her backpack willingly, and I take it stupidly. She begins to climb down, and I then start to unclip myself. But by the time I have everything gathered she's at the bottom of the tree.

"Don't follow me Girl On Fire, you can win this. You don't need me." And then she turns and strides away. I blink slowly, and I think I've heard the last of Tacey when she turns back around and simply looks at me again even though I can barely see her anymore.

"Bye Katniss, I'll see you again!" She calls, and I wonder if she really meant it.


	5. Never Going To Make It

**A/N: Okay, so it's been like months too long since I've updated it. Right now, it's not exactly my priority story, but I did reread it and start working on this chapter recently. I've noticed new interest in this since my SYOT started, and I can only thank you guys or liking my writing enough to read this. Also, if your one of those people who have read this because of my SYOT and are wondering why I haven't updated that, well I do have a few decent excuses. Recently, I've been obsessing over another series by Kiera Cass. It's a cheesy set of books, but they're creative and romantic, and I love them. Eventually, I'll probably write some fan fiction for those too, but I'm sticking to my 3 stories that aren't finished now. Also, I've had major block for the SYOT as you've probably seen. I hate reapings. Anyways, so I'm publishing this chapter for this story, so enjoy it and yell if you want for taking so long for a new chapter. Also I should apologize for the unnecessarily long authors note.**

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The rest of the day is dull without Tacey to talk to. I decide to stay in the tree and just wait it out until morning. I know I should try to sleep, but with the cold it's not easy still. I can only hope that the alliance I once had, a short one at that, is enough to give me the needed screen time so they'll leave me alone the rest of the night. I even sickeningly hope the Careers may find another tribute to weed out on their hunt. Of course, hopefully it would not be me, but someone who won't last much longer on their own anyway.

With Day 2 coming to a quick end, I can only imagine the excitement in the Capitol. 14 deaths in two days may be a record, but then again, maybe not. Also, with half of the Career's down already, it's looking like it'll be a year for the Outer Districts. I think of the remaining Career's, Marvel and Clove must be leading together. I didn't hear much of the District 4 girl, but she's managed to stick around. Still, no matter how hard I try, I can't quiet recall her name.

My thoughts eventually tapper off and my mind wheels down. Despite the cold, I finally feel myself drift into a decent sleep and enjoy the moment. Then, my thoughts become nonexistent and I don't dream through the entire night.

The next morning I awake rested for the first time in a while. It alarms me that I can actually sleep in such a deadly situation, but I also feel so much better that I push those thoughts aside. I stretch in the tree and u clip myself. I need to get moving before the gamemakers make me. They'll need some type of drama today, and with there being such few Career's, they'll start picking on us Outer Districts.

I decide to walk in the direction of my pond again. I have a water bottle in the pack Tacey gave me and it's already low. I allow myself to worry for her, and I can't imagine what she's doing. I don't want her to kill herself, but I also don't want her death to be drawn out and agonizing. Really, I just wish she would've stayed with me.

After about an hour or two, I reach the pond. I fill up my bottle and then start to go back to my original tree. But I'm stopped by a sight in front of me. There's a head turned around behind me, a girl I don't recognize immediately. I touch the sheath over my shoulders and then load my bow silently. Still, the girl seems not to notice me. I creep up, and grit my teeth.

I know I can't just kill her, it's different than a Career who I know would harm me instantly. This is different, I don't know this girl, I can hardly even put my finger in her district. So instead, I speak to her.

"Not smart to not check your surroundings."

She jumps harshly and I watch her slowly turn around. Her hands are shaking, and in one is a sharp looking stick. Basically, she's weaponless going against me. She chokes out a sob and looks at me with wide eyes. I can't help but recognize the innocence in them much like my sisters even though this girl has to be around my age or older.

"Just make it quick," she says shakily. Then, she looks up and whispers what I think is an "I'm sorry."

By now there are tears running down her cheeks and my heart swells up. I'm confused, I don't know what to do. I'll look weak if I don't kill her when she's basically asked me to, but I'll look ruthless if I do kill her. Plus, I'm not sure I can bear the thought of taking her life right now.

So basically, I do something stupid. Without dropping my stiff stance, I drop the bow over to one hand and move forward silently and grab her hand not holding the stick. I look her in the eyes with sympathy.

"Do you want to go, or are you just scared?"

At this she chokes out a sob and her eyes squint as they welt up with the sting of her tears. She looks at me as a few more dare to drop down her cheeks and smiles.

"I was never going to make it anyway."

Then, dropping my hand and her stick, she stands back and lifts her hands above her head. She looks up, and I'm confused for a moment. But I think this is her goodbye, a last moment spent taking in the sun and the air around her. Then, she looks back down at me and nods softly.

It takes all I have in me to load the arrow again. When I focus back on her, her heads tipped back again and her eyes are closed. She looks peaceful and happy. I pull back and release, sending the arrow deep into her heart. She drops and clinches the ground. I run up and hold her hands and she looks at me once more. Then, just before she closes her eyes for the final time, she squeezes my hand softly.

I walk away sobbing as the cannon fires. I didn't even know her name. She may have had siblings, a family that cared for her. Now she's gone, and by my own hands. Never mind the fact that she seemed serene, that she wanted to go. I killed her, an innocent person. I can never take that back.


End file.
